piccaluga



Jan. 12 1926.

A. PIGCALUGA APPARATUS FOR FITTING GAPS T0 VESSELS Filed Sept. 24, 19232 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

Jan. 12 1926.

A. PlCCALUjGA APPARATUS FOR FITTING-CAPS TO VESSELS Filed Sept; 24, 19232 Sheets-Sheet 2 atented Jan. 12, 1926.

ANGELO PICGALUGA, OF LEGHORN, ITALY.

APPARATUS FOR FITTING CAPS TO VESSELS.

Application filed September 24, 1923.

1" 0 all IO/(07H it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ancnro PICUALUGA, a subject of the King of Italy,residing in Leghorn, Etaly, have invented certain new and usefulApparatus for hitting Caps to vessels, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a device for providing vessels withfluid-tight closure caps. The cap according to the invention ispreferably made of tin sheet metal, but it may be made of any otherconvenient metal such as for example brass, aluminium, etc. The capintended to cover an aperture provided on the lid or top of the vesselto be hermetically closed, a d is pressed against the edge of the saidaperture by means of a device or tool for the purpose of producng aclosure which is tight to fluids such as petrol, benzine and the like,no packing means bein required between the cap and the {-EClgG of theaperture. If however the vessel contains a very fluid liquid, and ifadditional precaution is deemed necessary, packing means may be providedsuch as rubber, leather, paper or other material, as best suited for theliquid in the vessel.

1n the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the cap-fixing tool or device in the openposition.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.

The left hand side of Figure 3 is a section along the line AB of Figure1 and the right hand side of the same figure is a m on line til-13 ofFigure 1. gures 1, (3. t1 and 10 illustrate the aperture portion of thelid of the vessel to be closed with caps of various patterns placed ontheir respective apertures and ready to be lined. .in position.

Figures 5, 9 and 11 illustrate the various caps prosed into shape by thetool for the purpose of forming the closure.

Figure '12 shows a cap particularly suitable for vessels to be emptiedand re-tilled repeatedly.

Figure 13 shows a cap provided with a cylindrical central neck adaptedto be closed by a stopper.

Referring to Figure i, the aperture 1 of the top or lid 2 of the vesselis provided with a rib 3 parallel to its circular edge and lying at asmall distance therefrom. This rib is easily pressed out in oneoperation by means of a suitable machine. The cap t is of suitable sizerelatively to the aperture to Serial No. 684,379.

be closed. It has an outer flange 5 and a cup-like portion 6 adapted tofit in the aperture 1. The cap and aperture can be produced in a simpleway which saves time and reduces the cost of manufacture.

Referring to the construction of Figure (3, the rib 3 projects inwardly.The metal between the edge of the aperture and the rib is suitablycurved and inclined, the flange 5 of the cap being correspondinglyshaped.

The rib is dispensed with in the construc tion of Figure 8 and a portionof the metal around the aperture is bent inwardly to form an inner wall8, the cap being shaped as shown in Figure 1. The flange 5 of the saidcap rests on the top of the vessel.

In the construction of Figure 10, the metal around the edge of theaperture is bent outwardly as at 9 to form an upwardly extendingvertical wall 3. The flange of the cap 5 is bent downwardly to form arecess 10 adapted to receive the upwardly extending portion 9.

Referring to Figure 12, the cap is by way of example that of Figure 4,but it may have any desired shape. A rigid ring 11 of any desired metalsuch as for instance bronze, iron and the like, and made much thickerthan the wall of the top of the vessel, is welded or soldered to thesaid top. The shape of the ring is in accordance with that of the cap tobe fixed thereon. The cap is lined in position as in the otherconstructions illustrated but the greater thickness of the ring preventsthe latter from being put out of shape when the cap is removed so thatfurther caps may be in turn secured and removed.

The construction illustrated in Figure 18 allows the vessel to be usedrepeatedly. Whatever the shape of the cap, the horizontal wall of thelatter is provided with an aperture surrounded by an outwardlyprojecting neck or extension 12 suitably secured to the cap and adaptedto be closed by a stopper which may for example be of the screw-0n typeas illustrated.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the tool or device intended for securingthe cap in position. T 0 this end the shape of the cap is alteredaccording to the tool used. In other words, part of the cup-shapedportion of the cap .is uniformly enlarged to form a circular burr on thevertical wall of the said cap. The cap once press 1 "1 position cannotbe removed without being cut. The flange 5 of the cap is simultaneouslypressed on to the metal around the edge of the opening to produceuniform contact and to give the closure the appearance of a valve on itsseat. This method of securing the cap renders the closure perfectlyadherent and fluid-tight. The various caps illustrated are circular, butthey may be made polygonal or otherwise with sharp or rounded-off edges.

The cap-securing tool or device is lllustrated in Figures 1 and 2 in theopen position, that is to say in the position inwhich it presses the capin position. The said tool comprises a laterally expanding mandrel madein several sections 13' (four in the drawing) pivoted at 15 in suitablerecesses or forks of a frame or body 1 1. The sections 13 of the mandrelhave, when closed, a iiuted contour and the dimensions of the mandrelare those of the cap to be pressed. The inner face of each section isprovided with an inclined plane, the said planes forming a conical hole16, engaged by the conical end 22 of a cylindrical wedge member 17sliding in the frame 14-, for the purpose of expanding and contractingthe mandrel. The upper end of the wedge member has wins 20 on which theshanks 18 of the levers 19 are pivoted. The pins 20 also hold the leversin position in their forks formed by two openings in the frame 14extending upwardly and diverging in order to take up the levers 19 andallow them to pivot. The shanks of the levers 19 are moved upwardly whenthe handles of the said levers are moved apart, so that the wedge member17 is raised. The upper conical portion 21 of the latter moves the upperend of the sections 13 outwardly. The said sections oscillate abouttheir pins 15 so that their lower ends are moved towards each other andgive the mandrel a diameter somewhat smaller than the internal diameterof the cup-shaped portion of the cap. The mandrel is now introduced intothe said portion of the cap which is in position in the aperture to beclosed, as shown in Figures 4:, 5, 8 and 10. The handles of the lever 19are now moved towards each other so that the wedge member 17 movesdownwardly. The lower end of the said member is pressed onto theinclined planes of the sections 13 which are thus moved outwardly andforced against the vertical inner wall 6 of the cap for the purpose ofimparting to the latter the shape f the outline of the mandrel (Figures5, 7, 9 and 11). The cap closely adheres to the edge of the aperture andcannot be taken out because of its now enlarged diameter. A perfectclosure is thus obtained which is fluid-tight even for liquids such aspetrol, benzine, etc.

The number of sections and the diameter of the tool may vary accordingto the shape and size of the cap to be pressed in position. The numberof sections is three for triangular caps, four for square or round cap,five for pentagonal caps, and so forth. Any desired number of sectionsmay however be provided for round caps.

The cap of Figure 13 is pressed in position by a tool by a tool longerin shape in order that the wedge member 17 does not touch the cap whenmoved downwanlly. The contour of the mandrel may differ in accordancewith the type of cap to be fixed in position and with the shape to beimparted to the said cap by the tool.

' What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A tool for closing vessels with a flanged and dished capcomprising an expanding mandrel, a wedge member having conical endportions within the expanding mandrel and of such length that it doesnot contact with the stopper on the cap when moved downwardly, and meansfor moving the said wedge member relatively to the mandrel.

2. A tool for closing vessels with a stoppered flanged and dished capcomprising an expanding mandrel with pivoted sections, a wedge memberhaving conical end portions within the expanding mandrel and of suchlength that it does not contact with the stopper on the cap when moveddownwardly, and means for moving the said wedge member relatively to themandrel.

3. A tool for closing vessels with a flanged and dished cap comprisingan expanded mandrel with pivoted sections, a wedge member having conicalend portions within the expanding mandrel and of such length that itdoes not contact with the stopper on the cap when moved downwardly, andpivoted levers for moving the said wedge member relatively to themandrel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ANGELO PICCALUGA. [1,. s.]

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